Abstract

An apparatus and method is disclosed for imaging internal features of a living body at a preselected site so that the data can be imaged in a quick, efficient and reliable manner with high resolution. The apparatus includes a catheter having a longitudinal axis, a proximal end and a distal end such that the catheter is adapted to be partially inserted into said living body so that said distal end is positioned relative to the preselected site and imaging data relating to the internal features can be acoustically provided at said distal end by moving said distal end through a plurality of positions relative to the site and generating an acoustic signal when the distal end is at each of said positions. The acoustic energy responsive to each acoustic signal at each of the positions is sensed so as to create a set of data. The location, including the orientation of said distal end of said catheter is sensed at each of said positions. The sets of data and the respective positions from which each was obtained is related to one another so as to create an image of the internal features of the body.